My next adventure spot is a perennial favorite of my friend group and features several different aspects that draw us back each summer. Located in Chester County, PA, right outside of Philadelphia, Phoenixville is a small but up-and-coming suburban town with many unique restaurants, new housing developments, and parks. Its geography is also noteworthy; the town is very hilly and lies on the fork between the Schuylkill River and one of its tributaries, French Creek.
Apart from the great features that make this town perfect for young people, families, and nature lovers alike, the town also is home to the Black Rock Tunnel. The ominous train tunnel slices through a large hill on a portion of the town surrounded on 3 sides by the winding Schuylkill River. At the end of one side of the tunnel, the tracks immediately transition onto a bridge to cross the river. The tunnel is almost 2,000 feet in length and about 20 feet in width. Build in the mid-1830s, the train tunnel was the third train tunnel constructed in the US by Reading Railroad engineers and is the third oldest tunnel still in use today.
In addition to the bridge adjacent to the train tunnel, further into the town is another humongous train bridge, which isn’t in use anymore. To summarize, there are two bridges over a deep river, a huge, creepy train tunnel, and miles of train tracks in between. It smells like teen spirit to me.
This area is a popular spot for history buffs, partiers, and adventurous teenagers to check out for the day. The first time I checked it out, I drove up with a few of my friends in the fall. Upon arriving to the parking lot nearest to the train tunnel, we found a path that led us down to the river. Once at the river, we saw the tunnel. We were astounded; not only was it tall, but we could barely see the light from the other side of the tunnel. As every group of teenagers would do, we decided we should walk through the tunnel to see the other larger bridge further into town. When we were about one third through the tunnel, we feel the ground rumbling beneath our feet. We see a light shining from behind us. And then we hear the horn. Without a doubt, this was the scariest moment of my life.
We turn around, and we see a train with no intention of slowing down coming right at us. I kept running for some reason, though. I was completely alone now; I had no idea where my friends were, as I was blinded by the train light and disoriented by the rumbling and its horn. I was not in fact faster than a train, and I realized after 10 seconds of running that I needed to find cover. I finally get to the side and found a large crater in the wall from when it was initially blown out with dynamite. 5 seconds later, the train comes rushing by, about 5 feet away from where I was sitting. It seemed to go on forever, but in reality it was only two minutes or so. Finally, it was past me, and the first thing on my mind was my friends.
I see the phone flash lights behind me, and run over to the rest of my group. Everyone was safe. We were a little frazzled, but it was okay because we were all alive, realizing there actually was enough space in between the tunnel walls and the train.
Apart from my scary train tunnel experience, I have ventured to the nearby bridges many times during the summer to swim. Many students from the area go during the summer to jump off the bridges or the rope swing. There’s also the other bridge further into town that I mentioned before, but it’s almost 80 feet tall. It’s nice to sit up there and watch a sunset, but it’s way too dangerous to jump off. Back at the other bridge, sometimes people on boats or jet skis wave and soar by below us. There’s also a wide variety of clientele, from locals, kids looking to party in the woods, teenagers like me looking to explore, and even families. The only negative experience I’ve had was the train incident, but other than that, this local spot epitomizes that indescribable summer feeling.
Rating: 9.5/10 (great memories, cliff jumping spot, and location)
